Women of electronic music: who are the protagonists

Lto electronic music? Emerging at the beginning of the twentieth century, it has become one of the most popular genres in the world… its story is unexpectedly feminine. In fact, some of the most avant-garde women of the last century stand out among its pioneers.

At the dawn of electronic music: the forgotten women

As expected, many progenitors of electronic music have (often) been forgotten: for centuries, even in music, there have been many men in the foreground for their innovation. Even in 1938, however, the first female electronic soundtrack, Music of the Sphereswas written by Johanna Magdalena Beyer.

Since then, many women have dominated the electronic scene: what about Clara Rockmorean active part in the development of the Theremin (creepy sounding instrument often used for horror movie soundtrack?). Violinist and child prodigy, youngest student ever accepted into the Imperial Academy in St. Petersburg, became a Theremin player famous (for the record, the only instrument to be played without physical contact invented by a Russian engineer and physicist and close friend of Clara, Léon Theremin).

The protagonists of the house, techno and trance scene

Today, women dominate the electronic, house, techno and trance scene with their signature touch. Of course, there is a long way to go, one would say by looking at the statistics: in Ibiza, the data reported byIMS (International Music Summit) demonstrated 34% growth in 2022 to $11.3 billion (a 16% increase over pre-Covid). And in this field, female DJs today represent only 15% compared to 85% of males. “Like all worlds that are not industries yet, but are becoming so, the musical universe is changing rapidly too,” he underlines Maurice Vitaleentrepreneur and founder of Kappa FuturFestival: an exciting three days of electronics which came to his last week tenth anniversary in the post-industrial location of Parco Dora in Turin.

Its numbers make it clear the comeback of this universe: over 100 artists for 36 hours of music between 5 stages and 90,000 people from 118 countries around the world. Top equipment with Pioneer among more than 100 products including multiplayer, mixers, turntables and remix stations «Electronics excel in the music scene and are also the most participated sector, even in the pop version; as in any field dominated by males, like politics or finance, it will only be a matter of time before we see the female side equalize. An industry, the cultural one, where women are increasingly capable: we, in our work with this festival, are committed to an important job such as the recovery of splendid parts of the city. We were among the first in Italy to do so. By exploiting and improving fascinating places such as Parco Dora and stimulating cultural enterprise, this sector could reach its potential, equal to almost 30% of the Italian GDP».

Dj Peggy Gou

Of course, the crowd was not long in coming at the stage of the most famous DJs: the very veteran Peggy Gou (on the strength of her recent show in June, in Ferrara, with an all-female line-up) has defeated every competitor. «After all, women love to express themselves in any medium: music is just one of the many arts. With techno I have shown that I can also unite other musical genres, which I do in all my shows.

It is no coincidence that my world is called “ARTCORE”: not very hard-core and very artistic!» underlines with a sunny smile the DJ-star Indira Paganotto. One million followers on his Instagram @indirapaganotto for this excellence born in Madrid, now moved to the Canary Islands, but of Italian blood: her eyes shine in front of her mother, aunt and sister. «This Kappa FuturFestival was extraordinary: not only for the atmosphere and the videos, always exciting… Just think, it’s the first time in my 13-year career that my family sees me play!». Style, of course, is another strong cliché as well. «My mother is a professor, my aunt is a lawyer and my sister is studying to become a psychologist. I am delighted that I have embarked on this career: yes, I am a DJ and producer, I have many tattoos, I travel in a world of alternative inspirations.

My father was Dj in Goa, from an early age I discovered Goa trance! I’ve always remained a bit of a “nerd”: I’ve never experienced it as a clubber, I went to Psytrance festival to understand the rhythm, the sound, their elaboration. Many of my friends who are now active in this world have an almost specialist eye». Obviously, in the magical world of techno there are also many excesses: but Indira lives happily in the nature of her Canary Islands, with her little horse and her experimental music. Another top experience? “The Boom Festival in Portugal: a week of trance music, where alcohol is forbidden, in a short time you enter an almost alternative dimension. There are ten internships and also children. A truly psychedelic global gathering of music, art, culture and sustainability.”

DJ Indira Paganotto

Skate culture lover, Indira Paganotto never gives up her femininity even on stage. «Peggy Gou herself or a sacred monster like Nina Kraviz remain super sexy: why give up this side of our personality? I also see it from great friend of a real “big” like Charlotte de Witte: in this world there is no rivalry between women, we help each other. Even if my dream today is to arrive at the cinema through the next singles: a world in which women often exceed in showing themselves too sensual, while I aim to make such professional videos as to – I hope – win the attention of my hero… Quentin Tarantino!”

Dj Silvie Loto

From the data ofInternational Music Summit, often women continue to feel more pressure about their appearance than their male counterparts, increasing the risk of suffering unconscious bias. But in the most important scene, even this aspect is finally evolving. «If I hadn’t done this job I think I would have worked in fashion» he introduces Silvie Lotofamous Tuscan DJ based in Rome, whose fame has reached international levels. “My beginnings? At the beginning in “my” Tenax in Florence, an emotion, I already went there as a child. Of course, in the past, appearing too feminine might not have seemed positive and many of us have had a more minimal, more masculine approach… Then I think that over the years things have changed. Over time I have personally learned that it’s nice to show yourself sometimes more sporty, sometimes more sexy, varying with style as we women do in everyday life. Even in electronics, having your own mood is important, the link between fashion and music has always fascinated me».

Returns from the famous Awakenings Festival of Amsterdam and for the first time at the Kappa FuturFestival, with a pinch of pride Silvie tells how this festival (and the Italian electronic scene) is now being talked about throughout Europe: «Abroad for years it has been clear that this world is only the most “dark” of the raves: thanks to the splendid organization and the art brought by so many shows. In Italy, finally, we are opening up to the free expression of this universe».

But how does the career of a DJ evolve? «There wasn’t a precise moment in which I thought I wanted to do it, it was more a curiosity. Certainly this figure intrigued me, the challenge was precisely to see women grow – of which there weren’t many, at least in Italy: in Germany and England the female scene was much more evolved. And so I thought “Now I can do it too”. I approached the first house and deep house evenings slowly, I discovered my genre in small steps».

A heterogeneous world, that of electronics, nuances ready to intersect each other. Perhaps not understandable for the less experienced: finding one’s identity is even more essential. «I practiced at home with the equipment that I had bought by myself, and then performed in small venues, even if I soon started to have visibility in clubs: thanks to all those hours spent playing with passion thinking that probably it would not become a Work. And instead it became. Good memories, there were no social networks… it was all word of mouth!»

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